Library Services

Library Services

Doing research in a special collections library can be intimidating, especially if it's your first time. The Historical Society of Pennsylvania's library staff is here to help researchers use our catalogs and research tools, find books on the open stacks, access books, manuscripts and other material from the closed stacks, and request reproductions for personal research use or for publication.

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This service is especially useful to those who cannot visit the library in person. For a pre-paid fee, a skilled staff researcher will investigate and respond to your research request utilizing sources available in our library and manuscripts collections.

Researchers who need copies of library materials for personal research use may request photocopies for a small fee, or use personal cameras to take pictures after obtaining a photography permission form.

In-house digital imaging reproduction services and permission to reproduce, publish, exhibit, or distribute images of HSP's collection materials are available, for a fee, through the Rights and Reproductions service.

HSP members at the Patron level and above may request up to three (3) closed stacks items to be paged in advance of a visit to the library, and ready for use upon arrival. Requests must be received at least one week prior to the visit.

Patron level members and above may schedule a one-on-one research strategy interview with a member of our knowledgeable library staff. This will be an in-depth reference interview and will be more personal and focused than a general orientation.

Patron level members are eligible to submit up to three InterLibrary Loan requests annually. Contributor level members may submit up to five. All material borrowed from lending libraries must be used on site at HSP and use must conform to both HSP rules for use as well as any the lending library requires.